Flexible electroluminescent display device

ABSTRACT

An electroluminescent display device includes a substrate including an active area, and bezel area outside the active area and including a bending area, a first organic insulation layer (OIL) in the active area, covering a first signal line extending from the active area to the bezel area, a second OIL in the bending area, the second OIL being in a same layer as the first organic insulation film, first and second touch electrodes crossing over each other and sealing the active area on an encapsulation layer above the first OIL with a third OIL therebetween, a first signal line link pattern connected to the first signal line, and on the second OIL in the bending area, and second and third signal lines respectively connected to the first and second touch electrodes, and on the second OIL in parallel with the first signal line link pattern.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/667,874, filed on Oct. 29, 2019, which is aContinuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/807,955,filed on Nov. 9, 2017, which claims the priority of Korean ApplicationNo. 10-2016-0158462, filed on Nov. 25, 2016, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a flexible electroluminescent displaydevice, and more particularly, to a flexible electroluminescent displayincluding a touch sensor.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Recently, various flat panel display devices having reduced weight andvolume, which are disadvantages of a cathode ray tube (CRT), are beingdeveloped. Examples of such a flat panel display device include a liquidcrystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma displaypanel (PDP), an electroluminescent display device, and so on.

Because the flat panel display device is thin and lightweight, it iswidely used as a display means in a mobile communication terminal or aportable information processing devices. In particular, there is agrowing demand for display panels that are thinner, lighter, and havelower power consumption in portable or mobile devices. Such displaydevices are being applied, not only to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs, but also to various fields such as TVs(televisions), automobile displays, wearable devices, and so on. Suchdisplay devices are required to be structurally modified in various tobe applied to various fields.

According to this demand, in recent years, development of a flexibleelectroluminescent display device capable of bending or folding has beenactively progressing. For example, a flexible electroluminescent displaydevice, which is manufactured so that display performance can bemaintained, even when it bends like paper, by using a flexible material,such as flexible plastic or metal foil as a substrate, is rapidlyemerging as a next-generation flat panel display device.

In general, such display devices require an interface to an input devicethat is convenient, simple, and can reduce malfunctions. According tosuch demands, a touch sensor has been proposed in which a user directlytouches a screen with a hand or a pen to input information. Such a touchsensor is used in combination with a display device in various ways.

A flexible electroluminescence display device (hereinafter, simplyreferred to as a “flexible electroluminescence display device”) having arelated art touch sensor will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and2.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a related art flexible electroluminescencedisplay device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a related art flexibleelectroluminescent display device includes an active area AA and a bezelarea ZA. The bezel area ZA includes a link area LA, a bending area BA,and a pad area PA as areas outside the active area AA.

The active area AA is an area in which an input image is displayed andinformation is input through a touch or proximity of an object such as afinger or a stylus pen. Display elements, such as gate lines, datalines, thin film transistors, storage capacitors, organic light-emittingdiodes, and so on, for displaying an input image are disposed in thearea AA. Touch sensors for sensing touch inputs are also disposed in thearea AA.

The active area AA, in which the display elements are disposed, includesa gate insulation layer GI covering the gate lines and gate electrodesof thin film transistors, a passivation film PAS covering source anddrain electrodes of the thin film transistors and data lines formed onthe gate insulation layer GI, a planarization layer PL formed on thepassivation film PAS, and a bank BN formed to expose organiclight-emitting diodes (not shown) disposed on the planarization layerPL. An encapsulation layer ENC is disposed on the bank BN to preventmoisture from permeating from the outside.

A touch sensor is formed on the encapsulation layer ENC. The touchsensor includes a plurality of first touch electrodes Tx, arranged inparallel along a first direction, and a plurality of second touchelectrodes Rx, arranged in parallel along a second direction crossingthe first direction.

The data lines (not shown) extending from the active area AA, aplurality of first routing wires TW connected to the plurality of firsttouch electrodes Tx, and a plurality of second routing wires RWconnected to the plurality of second touch electrodes Rx are disposed inthe link area LA and the bending area BA.

The link area LA is an area located between the active area AA and thebending area BA. In the link area LA the data lines DL, extending fromthe active area AA to the bending area BA, and the plurality of firstand second routing wires TW and RW are arranged side by side. Theplurality of first and second routing wires TW and RW are disposed onthe gate insulation layer GI on the substrate SUB.

In the bending area BA, the data lines extending from the link area LAto the pad area PA, and the plurality of first and second routing wiresTW and RW are arranged side by side. The plurality of first and secondrouting wires TW and RW are disposed on the gate insulation layer GI andthe first insulation layer INS1 on the substrate SUB. The firstinsulation layer INS1 is formed of an organic insulation material.

In the pad area PA, pads are disposed for receiving signals suppliedfrom the outside or for supplying signals transmitted from the activearea AA. The pads include data pads (not shown) connected to the datalines DL and the first and second touch pads TP and RP respectivelyconnected to the first and second routing wires TW and RW. The data pads(not shown) and the first and second touch pads TP and RP are disposedon the gate insulation layer GI formed on the substrate SUB.

In the above-described related art flexible electroluminescent displaydevice, the substrate SUB may be formed of a flexible plastic material.The bending area BA is a flexible area and has flexibility. Because thebending area BA can be bent toward the front or rear direction of thedisplay device, stress acts on the bending area BA. If cracks ordisconnections are generated in the data lines or the routing wires(hereinafter, referred to as “signal wires”) due to such stress, thesignals are not supplied, thereby causing an abnormality in the displayfunction or the touch function.

Therefore, in the related art flexible electroluminescence displaydevice, to prevent the signal wires from being damaged due to the stressapplied at the time of bending, the gate insulation layer GI, whichgenerates a lot of stress, is replaced with the first insulation layerINS made of an organic insulation material under the signal wires of thebending area BA, and the planarization layer PL is disposed to cover thesignal wires.

However, according to such a structure, because one mask process has tobe added to the first insulation layer INS 1 for reducing the stressunder the signal wires in the bending area BA, the process time andmanufacturing cost are increased.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to a flexibleelectroluminescent display device that substantially obviates one ormore of the issues due to limitations and disadvantages of the relatedart.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electroluminescentdisplay device capable of reducing stress applied to signal wires in abending area to protect the signal wires and reducing one mask process.

Additional features and aspects will be set forth in the descriptionthat follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or maybe learned by practice of the inventive concepts provided herein. Otherfeatures and aspects of the inventive concepts may be realized andattained by the structure particularly pointed out in the writtendescription, or derivable therefrom, and the claims hereof as well asthe appended drawings.

To achieve these and other aspects of the inventive concepts as embodiedand broadly described, there is provided an electroluminescent displaydevice, including: a substrate including: an active area, and bezel areaoutside the active area and including a bending area, a first organicinsulation layer in the active area, the first organic insulation layercovering a first signal line extending from the active area to the bezelarea, a second organic insulation layer in the bending area, the secondorganic insulation layer being in a same layer as the first organicinsulation film, first and second touch electrodes crossing over eachother and sealing the active area on an encapsulation layer above thefirst organic insulation layer with a third organic insulation layertherebetween, a first signal line link pattern connected to the firstsignal line, the first signal line link pattern being on the secondorganic insulation layer in the bending area, and second and thirdsignal lines respectively connected to the first and second touchelectrodes, the second and third signal lines being on the secondorganic insulation layer in parallel with the first signal line linkpattern.

In another aspect, there is provided an electroluminescent displaydevice, including: a substrate including: an active area, and a bezelarea outside the active area and including a bending area, a firstorganic insulation layer in the active area, the first organicinsulation layer covering a first signal line extending from the activearea to the bezel area, a second organic insulation layer in the bendingarea, the second organic insulation layer being in a same layer as thefirst organic insulation film, first and second touch electrodescrossing over each other and sealing the active area on an encapsulationlayer above the first organic insulation layer with a third organicinsulation layer therebetween, a first signal line link patternconnected to the first signal line on a third organic insulation layercovering the second organic insulation layer in the bending area, andsecond and third signal lines respectively connected to the first andsecond touch electrodes, the second and third signal lines being on thethird organic insulation layer in parallel with the first signal linelink pattern.

In another aspect, there is provided an electroluminescent displaydevice, including: a substrate including: an active area, and a bezelarea outside the active area and including a bending area, a firstorganic insulation layer in the active area, the first organicinsulation layer covering a first signal line extending from the activearea to the bezel area, a second organic insulation layer in the bendingarea, the second organic insulation layer being in a same layer as thefirst organic insulation film, first and second touch electrodescrossing over each other and sealing the active area on an encapsulationlayer above the first organic insulation layer with a third organicinsulation layer therebetween, a first signal line link patternconnected to the first signal line, the first signal line link patternbeing on the second organic insulation layer in the bending area, secondand third signal lines respectively connected to the first and secondtouch electrodes, the second and third signal lines being on the secondorganic insulation layer in parallel with the first signal line linkpattern, a first signal line auxiliary link pattern on a thirdinsulation layer covering the first signal link pattern and the secondand third signal lines, the first signal line auxiliary link patternbeing connected to the first signal line link pattern, a second signalline auxiliary pattern connected to the second signal line, a thirdsignal line auxiliary pattern connected to the third signal line, and afourth organic insulation layer covering the first signal line auxiliarylink pattern, and covering the second and third signal line auxiliarypatterns.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will become,apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the followingfigures and detailed description. It is intended that all suchadditional systems, methods, features and advantages be included withinthis description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and beprotected by the following claims. Nothing in this section should betaken as a limitation on those claims. Further aspects and advantagesare discussed below in conjunction with the embodiments of thedisclosure. It is to be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description of the presentdisclosure are examples and explanatory, and are intended to providefurther explanation of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, that may be included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure andtogether with the description serve to explain various principles of thedisclosure.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a related art flexible electroluminescencedisplay device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a flexible electroluminescent displaydevice having a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing one pixel area of the display panelshown in

FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 5.

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of a first modification example takenalong the line I-I′ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of a first modification example takenalong the line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of a second modification exampletaken along the line I-I′ of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of a second modification exampletaken along the line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwisedescribed, the same drawing reference numerals should be understood torefer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative sizeand depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity,illustration, and convenience.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, examples of that may be illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. In the following description, when a detailed description ofwell-known functions or configurations related to this document isdetermined to unnecessarily cloud a gist of the inventive concept, thedetailed description thereof will be omitted. The progression ofprocessing steps and/or operations described is an example; however, thesequence of steps and/or operations is not limited to that set forthherein and may be changed as is known in the art, with the exception ofsteps and/or operations necessarily occurring in a particular order.Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout. Names of therespective elements used in the following explanations are selected onlyfor convenience of writing the specification and may be thus differentfrom those used in actual products.

In the description of embodiments, when a structure is described asbeing positioned “on or above” or “under or below” another structure,this description should be construed as including a case in which thestructures contact each other as well as a case in which a thirdstructure is disposed therebetween.

Hereinafter, a flexible electroluminescence display device according toan embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with referenceto FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a flexible electroluminescent displaydevice having a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing one pixel area of thedisplay panel shown in FIG. 3.

With reference to FIG. 3, a flexible electroluminescent display device10 may include display drive circuits 12, 14, and 16 and a display panelDIS. The display driving circuits 12, 14, and 16 may include a datadriving circuit 12, a gate driving circuit 14 and a timing controller16. The display driving circuits 12, 14, and 16 may write video datavoltages of an input image to pixels of the display panel DIS. The datadriving circuit 12 may convert digital video data RGB input from thetiming controller 16 into analog gamma compensation voltages to generatedata voltages. The data voltages output from the data driving circuit 12may be supplied to the data lines D1 to Dm. The gate driving circuit 14may sequentially supply gate pulses synchronized with the data voltagesto the gate lines G1 to Gn to select the pixels of the display panel DISto which the data voltages are written.

The timing controller 16 may control operation timings of the datadriving circuit 12 and the gate driving circuit 14 using timing signals,such as a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontalsynchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signal DE, and a main clocksignal MCLK, which may be received from a host system 19. The datatiming control signal for controlling the data driving circuit 12 mayinclude a source sampling clock SSC, a source output enable signal SOE,and so on. The gate timing control signal for controlling the gatedriving circuit 14 may include a gate start pulse GSP, a gate shiftclock GSC, a gate output enable signal GOE, and so on.

The host system 19 may be implemented, for example, by a televisionsystem, a set-top box, a navigation system, a DVD player, a blue-rayplayer, a personal computer (PC), a home theater system, a phone system,and so on. The host system 19 may include a system on chip (SoC) with abuilt-in scaler to convert the digital video data RGB of the input imageinto a format suitable for display on the display panel DIS. The hostsystem 19 may transmit the timing signals Vsync, Hsync, DE, and MCLK tothe timing controller 16 together with the digital video data.

The pixel array of the display panel DIS may include pixels defined bydata lines D1 to Dm (where m is a positive integer) and gate lines G1 toGn (where n is a positive integer). Each of the pixels may include anorganic light-emitting diode OLE which is a self-light-emitting element.

With reference to FIG. 4, in the display panel DIS, a data line DL and agate line GL may cross over each other, and a pixel may be disposed inan area defined by the crossing. Accordingly, pixels having a matrixform may be arranged in the display panel DIS. Each pixel may include anorganic light-emitting diode OLE, a driving thin film transistor(hereinafter, referred to as a “driving TFT”) DT for controlling anamount of current flowing in the organic light-emitting diode OLE, and aprogramming unit SC for setting the voltage between a gate electrode anda source electrode of the driving TFT DT.

The programming portion SC may include at least one switching TFT and atleast one storage capacitor. The switching TFT may be turned on inresponse to a scan signal from the gate line GL, thereby applying a datavoltage from the data line DL to one electrode of the storage capacitor.

The driving TFT DT may control the amount of current supplied to theorganic light-emitting diode OLE according to the magnitude of thevoltage charged in the storage capacitor to control the amount of lightemitted from the organic light-emitting diode OLE. The amount of lightemission of the organic light-emitting diode OLE may be proportional tothe amount of current supplied from the driving TFT DT. Each pixel maybe connected to a high potential voltage source and a low potentialvoltage source, and may be supplied with a high potential voltage EVDDand a low potential voltage EVSS from a power generation unit (notshown).

The TFTs in the pixel may be implemented as p-type or n-type. Further,the semiconductor layer of the TFTs in the pixel may include, forexample, amorphous silicon, polysilicon, or an oxide. The organiclight-emitting diode OLE may include an anode electrode ANO, a cathodeelectrode CAT, and an organic light-emitting layer interposed betweenthe anode electrode ANO and the cathode electrode CAT. The anodeelectrode ANO may be connected to the driving TFT DT. The organiclight-emitting layer may include an emission layer (EML), a holeinjection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electrontransport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL). Theemission layer (EML) may be disposed between a hole layer including thehole injection layer (HIL) and the hole transport layer (HTL), and anelectron layer including the electron transport layer (ETL) and theelectron injection layer (EIL).

A flexible electroluminescence display device according to a firstembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS. 5 to 6B.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6A is across-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is across-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 5.

The flexible electroluminescent display device according to the firstembodiment of the present disclosure may include an active area AA and abezel area ZA outside the active area AA. The example of FIG. 6Aillustrates a configuration of a data line DL and a data pad DP arrangedin an active area AA and a bezel area ZA. The bezel area ZA includes alink area LA, a bending area BA, and a pad area PA.

The active area AA may be an area in which an input image is displayedand information is input through a touch or proximity of an object, suchas a finger or a stylus pen. There may be display elements (for example,gate lines, data lines, thin film transistors, storage capacitors,organic light-emitting diodes, and so on) for displaying an input image,and a touch sensor for sensing a touch in the active area AA.

The active area AA, in which the display elements may be disposed, mayinclude a gate insulation layer GI covering the gate lines and gateelectrodes of thin film transistors, a passivation film PAS coveringsource and drain electrodes of the thin film transistors and data linesformed on the gate insulation layer GI, a planarization layer PL formedon the passivation film PAS, and a bank BN formed to expose the organiclight-emitting diodes (not shown) disposed on the planarization layerPL. An encapsulation layer ENC may be disposed on the bank BN to preventmoisture from permeating from the outside.

The substrate SUB is a flexible substrate having flexibility. Forexample, the substrate SUB may be a film type made of a flexiblematerial selected from a group of a polyester-based polymer, asilicon-based polymer, an acrylic polymer, a polyolefin-based polymer,and copolymers thereof. For example, the flexible substrate may includeone of: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate(PBT), polysilane, polysiloxane, polysilazane, polycarbosilane,polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polymethyl acrylate, polyethylacrylate,polyethylmetacrylate, cyclic olefin co-polymeric cyclic (COC), cyclicolefin polymer (COP), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyimide(PI), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polyoxymethylene(POM), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyestersulfone (PES),polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate(PC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), perfluoroalkyl polymer (PFA),styreneacrylonitrile copolymer (SAN), and a combination thereof.

The gate insulation layer GI and the passivation film PAS may be formedof an inorganic insulation material, such as silicon nitride or siliconoxide. The planarization layer PL may flatten the top of the substrateSUB. The planarization layer PL may be a resin, such as,polyacrylate-based resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyamide-basedresin, polyimide-based resin, unsaturated polyester-based resin,poly-phenylenether-based resin, poly-phenylenesulfide-based resin,and/or benzocyclobutene. However, the planarization layer PL is notlimited thereto, and can be formed of various materials.

A touch sensor may be formed on the encapsulation layer ENC. The touchsensor may include a plurality of first touch electrodes Tx arranged inparallel along a first direction, and a plurality of second touchelectrodes Rx arranged in parallel along a second direction crossing thefirst direction. A first insulation layer INS1 made of an organicinsulation material may be disposed entirely between the first touchelectrodes Tx and the second touch electrodes Rx, or may be disposedonly at the crossings thereof. A second insulation layer INS2 may bedisposed on the first insulation layer INS1 to cover the second touchelectrode Rx. The first touch electrodes Tx and the second touchelectrodes Rx may be formed of a transparent conductive material, suchas indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or gallium-dopedzinc oxide (GZO).

The link area LA may have data lines DL, first routing wires TW, andsecond wires RW therein. Each of the data lines DL may be extending fromthe active area AA, and may include a first metal layer M1. Each of thefirst routing wires TW may be connected to each of the first touchelectrodes Tx, and each of the second wires RW may be connected to eachof the second touch electrode Rx. The first and second routing wires TWand RW may be formed of a second metal layer M2. In the link area LA,the first touch electrode Tx may be connected to the first routing wireTW on the gate insulation layer GI, and the second touch electrode Rxmay be connected to the second routing wire RW exposed through a contacthole passing through the first insulation layer INS1.

In the examples of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the first insulation layer INS1 isan organic insulation layer for insulation the first touch electrodes Txand the second touch electrodes Rx, and the second insulation layer INS2is an organic insulation layer for protecting the second touchelectrodes Rx. The first and second insulation layers INS1 and INS2 maybe formed using the same material as the planarization layer PL.

The bending area BA may include the planarization layer PL, data linkpatterns DLP, and first and second routing wires TW and RW therein. Theplanarization layer PL in the bending area BA may be disposed on thesubstrate SUB, and may be the same as the planarization layer PL in theactive area AA because the planarization layer PL in the bending area BAmay be formed together with the planarization layer PL in the activearea AA. The data link patterns DLP may be disposed on the planarizationlayer PL in the bending area BA and one portion of the data lines DL inthe link area LA. Accordingly, the data link patterns DLP can beconnected to the data lines DL formed of the first metal layer M1. Thedata link patterns DLP may be formed of the second metal layer M2. Thefirst and second routing wires TW and RW may be connected to the firstand second touch electrodes Tx and Rx, respectively, although the FIG.6B example shows only the second routing wire RW. The first and secondrouting wires TW and RW may also be formed of the second metal layer M2.The first and second routing wires TW and RW, as well as the data linkpatterns DLP, may be parallel with each other in the bending area BA.

The pad area PA may include pads for receiving signals supplied from theoutside or for supplying signals transmitted from the active area AA.The pads may include data pads DP, first touch pads TP, and second touchpads RP. The example of FIG. 6B illustrates a second routing wire RW anda second touch pad RP in the bezel area ZA connected to a second touchelectrode Rx disposed in the active area AA.

Each of the data pads DP may be disposed on the gate insulation film GI,and may include the first metal layer M1 and the second metal layer M2on the first metal layer M1. The first metal layer M1 of the data pad DPmay be formed at the time, e.g., in a same operation or process, offorming the data lines DL, and the second metal layer M2 of the data padDP may be extending from the data link pattern DLP of the bending areaBA.

Each of the first and second touch pads TP and RP may include the firstmetal layer M1 on the gate insulation layer GI, and a second metal layerM2 on the first metal layer M1. The second metal layer M2 of the firsttouch pad TP may be extending from the second metal layer M2 of thefirst routing wire TW. The second metal layer M2 of the second touch padRP may be extending from the second metal layer M2 of the second routingwire RW.

The first and second metal layers M1 and M2 may be formed of aconductive material. The first and second metal layers M1 and M2 may beformed of a conductive material having excellent ductility to minimizeoccurrence of a crack when the substrate SUB is bent. For example, eachof the first and second metal layers M1 and M2 may be formed of aconductive material having excellent ductility, such as gold (Au),silver (Ag), and/or aluminum (Al). However, the material forming thefirst and second metal layers M1 and M2 is not limited thereto. Forexample, the material may be one of: molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr),titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg),and an alloy thereof.

In a electroluminescent display device according to the first embodimentof the present disclosure, the first insulation layer INS1 and theplanarization layer PL made of an organic insulation material may berespectively disposed at the upper and lower sides of the data linkpattern DLP, the first routing wire TW and the second routing wire RW,thereby increasing the flexibility of the electroluminescent displaydevice. Therefore, it may be possible to better suppress occurrence ofcracks, e.g., maximally, because the stresses applied to the data linkpattern DLP, the first routing wire TW, and the second routing wire RWmay be reduced.

Also, the planarization layer PL between the substrate SUB and thesecond metal layer M2 in the bending area BA may be formed by a sameprocess as the planarization layer PL in the active area AA. It may bepossible to obtain an effect of reducing or eliminating one maskprocess, as compared with the related art.

A flexible electroluminescence display device according to a secondembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS. 7 to 8B.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 8A is across-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 7. FIG. 8B is across-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 7.

A flexible electroluminescent display device according to the secondembodiment of the present disclosure may include an active area AA and abezel area ZA outside the active area AA. The example of FIG. 8Aillustrates a configuration of a data line DL, a data link pattern DLP,and a data pad DP arranged in the active area AA and the bezel area ZA.The bezel area ZA may include a link area LA, a bending area BA, and apad area PA.

The active area AA may be an area in which an input image is displayedand information is input through a touch or proximity of an object suchas a finger or a stylus pen. There may be display elements (for example,gate lines, data lines, thin film transistors, storage capacitors,organic light-emitting diodes, and so on) for displaying an input image,and a touch sensor for sensing a touch in the active area AA.

The active area AA, in which the display elements are disposed, mayinclude a gate insulation layer GI covering the gate lines and gateelectrodes of thin film transistors, a passivation film PAS coveringsource and drain electrodes of the thin film transistors and data linesformed on the gate insulation layer GI, a planarization layer PL formedon the passivation film PAS, and a bank BN formed to expose the organiclight-emitting diodes (not shown) disposed on the planarization layerPL. An encapsulation layer ENC may be disposed on the bank BN to preventmoisture from permeating from the outside.

The substrate SUB is a flexible substrate having flexibility. Forexample, the substrate SUB may be a film type made of a flexiblematerial, such as a polyester-based polymer, a silicon-based polymer, anacrylic polymer, a polyolefin-based polymer, and/or copolymers thereof.The flexible substrate can be formed using the same material as that ofthe flexible substrate of the first embodiment. The gate insulationlayer GI and the passivation film PAS may be formed of an inorganicinsulation material such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide.

The planarization layer PL may flatten the top of the substrate SUB. Thesame material as that described in the first embodiment can be used forthe planarization layer PL.

A touch sensor may be formed on the encapsulation layer ENC. The touchsensor may include a plurality of first touch electrodes Tx arranged inparallel along a first direction, and a plurality of second touchelectrodes Rx arranged in parallel along a second direction crossing thefirst direction. A first insulation layer INS1 made of an organicinsulation material may be disposed entirely between the first touchelectrodes Tx and the second touch electrodes Rx, or may be disposedonly at the crossings thereof. A second insulation layer INS2 may bedisposed on the first insulation layer INS1 to cover the second touchelectrode Rx. The first touch electrodes Tx and the second touchelectrodes Rx may be formed of a transparent conductive material, suchas ITO, IZO, or GZO.

There may be data lines DL, data link patterns DLP, first routing wiresTW and second wires RW in the link area LA. Each of the data lines DLmay be extending from the active area AA, and may include a first metallayer M1. Each of the data link patterns DLP may be disposed on thefirst insulation layer INS1 covering the date line DL, and may beconnected to the data line DL exposed through contact hole passingthrough the first insulation layer INS1. Each of the first routing wiresTW may be connected to each of the first touch electrodes Tx. Each ofthe second wires RW may be connected to each of the second touchelectrode Rx. The data link pattern DLP and the first and second routingwires TW and RW may be formed of a second metal layer M2.

In the link area LA, the first routing wire TW may be connected to thefirst touch electrode Tx exposed via a contact hole passing through thefirst insulation layer INS1. Also in the link area LA, the secondrouting wire RW may be directly connected to the second touch electrodeRx on the first insulation layer INS1.

In the examples of FIGS. 8A and 8B, the first insulation layer INS1 maybe an organic insulation layer for insulation the first touch electrodesTx and the second touch electrodes Rx, and the second insulation layerINS2 may be an organic insulation layer for protecting the second touchelectrodes Rx. The first and second insulation layers INS1 and INS2 maybe formed using the same material as the planarization layer PL.

The planarization layer PL, data link patterns DLP, and first and secondrouting wires TW and RW may be in the bending area BA. The planarizationlayer PL in the bending area BA may be disposed on the substrate SUB,and may be the same as the planarization layer PL in the active area AAbecause the planarization layer PL in the bending area BA may be formedtogether with the planarization layer PL in the active area AA. Thefirst insulation layer INS1 is disposed on the planarization layer PL.The data link patterns DLP may be disposed on the first insulation layerINS1 in the bending area BA, and may be extended to the link area LA andthe pad area PA. The data link patterns DLP may be formed of the secondmetal layer M2. The first and second routing wires TW and RW may berespectively connected to the first and second touch electrodes Tx andRx, although the FIG. 8B example shows only the second routing wire RW.The first and second routing wires TW and RW may also be formed of thesecond metal layer M2. The first and second routing wires TW and RW, aswell as the data link patterns DLP, may be parallel with each other inthe bending area BA.

The pad area PA may include pads for receiving signals supplied from theoutside or for supplying signals transmitted from the active area AA.The pads may include data pads DP, first touch pads TP, and second touchpads RP. The example of FIG. 8B illustrates a second routing wire RW anda second touch pad RP in the bezel area ZA connected to a second touchelectrode Rx disposed in the active area AA.

Each of the data pads DP may be disposed on the gate insulation film GI,and may include the first metal layer M1 and the second metal layer M2on the first metal layer M1. The first metal layer M1 of the data pad DPmay be formed at the time (e.g., in the same operation) of forming thedata lines DL, and the second metal layer M2 of the data pad DP may beextending from the data link pattern DLP of the bending area BA.

Each of the first and second touch pads TP and RP may include the firstmetal layer M1 on the gate insulation layer GI and a second metal layerM2 on the first metal layer M1. The second metal layer M2 of the firsttouch pad TP may be extending from the second metal layer M2 of thefirst routing wire TW. The second metal layer M2 of the second touch padRP may be extending from the second metal layer M2 of the second routingwire RW.

The first and second metal layers M1 and M2 may be formed of aconductive material. The first and second metal layers M1 and M2 may beformed of a conductive material having excellent ductility to minimizeoccurrence of a crack when the substrate SUB is bent. The first andsecond metal layers M1 and M2 may be formed using the same material asthe first and second metal layers M1 and M2 of the first embodiment.

In the electroluminescent display device according to the secondembodiment of the present disclosure, the second insulation layer INS2and the first insulation layer INS1 made of an organic insulationmaterial may be respectively disposed at the upper and lower sides ofthe data link pattern DLP, the first routing wire TW, and the secondrouting wire RW, thereby increasing the flexibility of theelectroluminescent display device. Therefore, it may be possible tosuppress occurrence of cracks (e.g., maximally) because the stressesapplied to the data link pattern DLP, the first routing wire TW, and thesecond routing wire RW may be reduced.

Also, the planarization layer PL between the substrate SUB and thesecond metal layer M2 in the bending area BA may be formed by a sameprocess as the planarization layer PL in the active area AA. It may bepossible to obtain an effect of reducing one mask process, as comparedwith the related art.

A flexible electroluminescence display device according to a thirdembodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIGS. 9 to 10B.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the flexibleelectroluminescence display device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 10A is across-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 9. FIG. 10B is across-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

The FIG. 10A example illustrates a configuration of a data line DL,first and second data link patterns DLP1 and DLP2, and a data pad DParranged in the active area AA and the bezel area ZA. The FIG. 10Bexample illustrates a second routing wire RW and a second touch pad RPin the bezel area ZA connected to a second touch electrode Rx disposedin the active area AA.

A flexible electroluminescent display device according to the thirdembodiment of the present disclosure includes an active area AA and abezel area ZA outside the active area AA. The bezel area ZA may includea link area LA, a bending area BA, and a pad area PA.

The active area AA may be an area in which an input image is displayedand information may be input through a touch or proximity of an objectsuch as a finger or a stylus pen. There may be display elements (forexample, gate lines, data lines, thin film transistors, storagecapacitors, organic light-emitting diodes, and so on) for displaying aninput image, and a touch sensor for sensing a touch in the active areaAA.

In the active area AA, in which the display elements are disposed, theremay be a gate insulation layer GI covering the gate lines and gateelectrodes of thin film transistors, a passivation film PAS coveringsource and drain electrodes of the thin film transistors and data linesformed on the gate insulation layer GI, a planarization layer PL formedon the passivation film PAS, and a bank BN formed to expose the organiclight-emitting diodes (not shown) disposed on the planarization layerPL. An encapsulation layer ENC may be disposed on the bank BN to preventmoisture from being permeated from the outside.

The substrate SUB is a flexible substrate having flexibility. Forexample, the substrate SUB may be a film type made of a flexiblematerial, such as a polyester-based polymer, a silicon-based polymer, anacrylic polymer, a polyolefin-based polymer, and/or copolymers thereof.The flexible substrate can be formed using the same material as that ofthe flexible substrate of the first embodiment. The gate insulationlayer GI and the passivation film PAS may be formed of an inorganicinsulation material such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide.

The planarization layer PL may flatten the top of the substrate SUB. Thesame material as that described in the first embodiment can be used forthe planarization layer PL.

A touch sensor may be formed on the encapsulation layer ENC. The touchsensor may include a plurality of first touch electrodes Tx, arranged inparallel along a first direction, and a plurality of second touchelectrodes Rx, arranged in parallel along a second direction crossingthe first direction. A first insulation layer INS1 made of an organicinsulation material may be disposed entirely between the first touchelectrodes Tx and the second touch electrodes Rx, or may be disposedonly at the crossings thereof. A second insulation layer INS2 may bedisposed on the first insulation layer INS1 to cover the second touchelectrode Rx. The first touch electrodes Tx and the second touchelectrodes Rx may be formed of a transparent conductive material, suchas ITO, IZO, or GZO.

In the link area LA, there may be data lines DL, data link patterns DLP1and DLP2 including two layers, first routing wires TW (not shown)including two layers, and second routing wires RW1 and RW2 including twolayers. Each of the data lines DL may be extending from the active areaAA, and may be made of a first metal layer M1. Each of the data linkpatterns may include a first data link pattern DLP1 and a second datalink pattern DLP2. The first data link pattern DLP1 may be disposed onthe data line DL in the link area LA. The second data link pattern DLP2may be disposed on the first insulation layer INS1 covering the firstdata link pattern DLP1, and may be connected to the first data linkpattern DLP1 exposed through a contact hole passing through the firstinsulation layer INS1.

Each of the second routing wires RW may include a first wire layer RW1and a second wire layer RW2. The first data link pattern DLP1 may bedisposed on the data line DL in the link area LA. The first wire layerRW1 of the second routing wire RW may be disposed on the gate insulationlayer GI in the link area LA. The second wire layer RW2 of the secondrouting wire RW may be disposed on the first insulation layer INS1covering the first wire layer RW1 of the second routing wire RW, and maybe connected to the first wire layer RW1 of the second routing wire RWexposed through a contact hole passing through the first insulationlayer INS1. The second wire layer RW2 of the second routing wire RW mayalso be directly connected to the second touch electrode Rx on the firstinsulation layer. Each of the first routing wires TW may include a firstwire layer and a second wire layer (not shown), similar to the secondrouting wires RW. The first wire layer of the first routing wire TW maybe directly connected to the first touch electrode Tx in the link areaLA. The first data link pattern DLP1, the first wire layer of the firstrouting wire TW, and the first wire layer RW1 of the second routing wireRW may be made of a second metal layer M2. The second data link patternDLP2, the second wire layer of the first routing wire TW, and the secondwire layer RW2 of the second routing wire RW may be made of a thirdmetal layer M3.

In the examples of FIGS. 10A and 10B, the first insulation layer INS1may be an organic insulation layer for insulation the first touchelectrodes Tx and the second touch electrodes Rx, and the secondinsulation layer INS2 may be an organic insulation layer for protectingthe second touch electrodes Rx. When the first insulation film INS1 maybe formed only at the crossings of the first and second touch electrodesTx and Rx, the second insulation film INS2 may be omitted in the linkarea LA, the bending area BA, and the pad area PA. The first and secondinsulation layers INS1 and INS2 may be formed using the same material asthe planarization layer PL.

In the bending area BA, there may be the planarization layer PL, datalink patterns DLP1 and DLP2 including two layers, first routing wires TW(not shown) including two layers, and second routing wires RW1 and RW2including two layers. The planarization layer PL in the bending area BAmay be disposed on the substrate SUB, and may be the same as theplanarization layer PL in the active area AA because the planarizationlayer PL in the bending area BA may be formed together with theplanarization layer PL in the active area AA. The first data linkpattern DLP1, the first wire layer of the first routing wire TW, and thefirst wire layer RW1 of the second routing wire extending from the linkarea LA may be disposed on the planarization layer PL. The second datalink pattern DLP2, the second wire layer of the first routing wire TW,and the second wire layer RW2 of the second routing wire extending fromthe link area LA may be disposed on the first insulation layer INS1covering the first data link pattern DLP1, the first wire layer of thefirst routing wire TW, and the first wire layer RW1 of the secondrouting wire. The data link patterns DLP1 and DLP2, the first routingwires TW, and the second routing wires RW1 and RW2 may be extended tothe pad area PA. The first data link pattern DLP1, the first wire layerof the first routing wire TW, and the first wire layer RW1 of the secondrouting wire may be formed of the second metal layer M2. The second datalink pattern DLP2, the second wire layer of the first routing wire TW,the second wire layer RW2 of the second routing wire may be made of thethird metal layer M3. The first data link pattern DLP1, the first wirelayer of the first routing wire TW, and the first wire layer RW1 of thesecond routing wire may be parallel with each other on the planarizationlayer PL. The second data link pattern DLP2, the second wire layer ofthe first routing wire TW, and the second wire layer RW2 of the secondrouting wire may be parallel with each other on the first insulationlayer INS1.

The pad area PA may include pads for receiving signals supplied from theoutside, or for supplying signals transmitted from the active area AA.The pads may include data pads DP and first touch pads TP and secondtouch pads RP.

Each of the data pads DP may be disposed on the gate insulation film GI,and may include the first metal layer M1, the second metal layer M2extending from the link area LA on the first metal layer M1, and thethird metal layer M3 extending from the link area LA on the second metallayer M2. That is, each of the data pads may include three layers inwhich the first to third metal layers M1 to M3 may be sequentiallydisposed on the gate insulation layer GI.

Each of the first and second touch pads TP and RP may include the firstmetal layer M1 on the gate insulation layer GI extending from the linkarea LA, the second metal layer M2 extending from the link area LA onthe first metal layer M1, and the third metal layer M3 extending fromthe link area LA on the second metal layer M3. That is, each of thefirst and second touch pads TP and RP may include three layers in whichthe first to third metal layers M1 to M3 may be sequentially disposed onthe gate insulation layer GI.

The first to third metal layers M1, M2, and M3 may be formed of aconductive material, and may be formed of a conductive material havingexcellent ductility to reduce or minimize occurrence of cracks when thesubstrate SUB is bent. The first to third metal layers M1, M2, and M3may be formed using the same material as the first and second metallayers M1 and M2 of the first embodiment.

In the electroluminescent display device according to the thirdembodiment of the present disclosure, the first insulation layer INS1and the planarization layer PL made of an organic insulation materialmay be disposed at the upper and lower sides of each the first data linkpattern DLP1, the first wire layer (not shown) of the first routing wireTW, and the first wire layer RW1 of the second routing wire RW. Thesecond insulation layer INS2 and the first insulation layer INS1 made ofan organic insulation material may be disposed at the upper and lowersides of each the second data link pattern DLP2, the second wire layerof the first routing wire TW, and the second wire layer RW2 of thesecond routing wire RW. This configuration may increase the flexibilityof the electroluminescent display device. Therefore, it may be possibleto suppress occurrence of cracks (e.g., maximally) because the stressesapplied to the first and second data link patterns DLP1 and DLP2, thefirst and second wire layers of the first routing wire TW, and the firstand second wire layers RW1 and RW2 of the second routing wire RW may bereduced.

Also, each of the data link pattern DLP, the first routing wire TW, andthe second routing wire RW located in the bending area BA may have atwo-layer structure. That is, the data link pattern DLP may have atwo-layer structure of the first data link pattern DLP1 and the seconddata link pattern DLP, the first routing wire TW may have a two-layerstructure of the first layer and the second layer (not shown), and thesecond routing wire RW may have a two-layer structure of the first layerRW1 and the second layer RW2. Therefore, when a bending occurs in thebending area BA, although a crack or a disconnection may occur at anyone of the first data link pattern DLP1 and the second data link patternDLP2, any one of the first layer and the second layer of the firstrouting wire (not shown), or any one of the first layer RW1 and thesecond layer RW2 of the second routing wire RW by stresses occurring dueto the bending, the electric path may be maintained by the other one.Accordingly, it may be possible to reduce or prevent defects of theelectroluminescent display device due to the crack or the disconnection.

Also, the planarization layer PL between the substrate SUB and thesecond metal layer M2 in the bending area BA may be formed by a sameprocess as the planarization layer PL in the active area AA. It may bepossible to obtain an effect of reducing one mask process as comparedwith the related art

A first modification example of the flexible electroluminescence displaydevice according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure willbe described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of a first modification example takenalong the line I-I′ of FIG. 9. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of afirst modification example taken along the line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

The example of FIG. 11A illustrates a configuration of a data line DL,first and second data link patterns DLP1 and DLP2, and a data pad DParranged in the active area AA and the bezel area ZA. The example ofFIG. 11B illustrates a second routing wire RW and a second touch pad RPin the bezel area ZA connected to a second touch electrode Rx disposedin the active area AA. In the examples of FIGS. 11A and 11B, the firstand second wire layers of the first routing wires TW and the first touchpad TP are omitted for convenience of explanation because they aresimilar to those of the second routing wires RW and the second touch padRP described above.

The flexible electroluminescent display device according to the firstmodification example of the third embodiment of the present disclosureshown in FIGS. 11A and 11B is substantially similar to the thirdembodiment, except that the third metal layer M3 disposed in the bezelarea ZA is connected to the second metal layer M2 through a plurality ofcontact holes passing through the first insulation layer INS1 in thebending area BA. For example, in the first modification example of thethird embodiment of the present disclosure, the second data link patternDLP2 disposed on the first insulation layer INS1 may be connected to thefirst data link pattern DLP1 through the contact holes passing throughthe first insulation layer INS1 in the bending area BA, and each of thesecond wire layers of the first and second touch routing wirings TW andRW disposed on the first insulation layer INS1 may be electricallyconnected to each of the first wire layers of the first and second touchrouting wirings TW and RW through the contact holes passing through thefirst insulation layer INS1 in the bending area BA. Therefore, detailedduplicative description is omitted for convenience.

In the first modification example of the third embodiment of the presentdisclosure, even if the second metal layer M2 and the third metal layerM3 are disconnected at the same time by a crack or other defect, it maybe possible to supply signals through various paths without goingthrough the disconnection section because the third metal layer M3 maybe connected to the second metal layer M2 at multiple positions throughthe plurality of contact holes. Therefore, according to the firstmodified example of the third embodiment of the present disclosure, itmay be possible to achieve the effects obtainable in the thirdembodiment, and also to obtain a more stable effect of preventing theflexible electroluminescent display device from being failed by theoccurrence of cracks due to the bending, as compared with the thirdembodiment.

A second modification example of the flexible electroluminescencedisplay device according to the third embodiment of the presentdisclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B.

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of a second modification exampletaken along the line I-I′ of FIG. 9. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional viewof a second modification example taken along the line II-II′ of FIG. 9.

The example of FIG. 12A illustrates a configuration of a data line DL,first and second data link patterns DLP1 and DLP2, and a data pad DParranged in the active area AA and the bezel area ZA. The example ofFIG. 12B illustrates a second routing wire RW and a second touch pad RPin the bezel area ZA connected to a second touch electrode Rx disposedin the active area AA. In the examples of FIGS. 12A and 12B, the firstand second wire layers of the first routing wires TW and the first touchpad TP are omitted because they are similar to those of the secondrouting wires RW and the second touch pad RP described above.

The flexible electroluminescent display device according to the secondmodification example of the third embodiment of the present disclosureshown in FIGS. 12A and 12B is different from the third embodiment inthat the first data link pattern DLP1 made of the second metal layer M2disposed on the planarization layer PL of the bezel area ZA includes aplurality of first data link patterns DLP1 a and DLP1 b separated fromeach other, the second data link pattern DLP2 made of a third metallayer M3 includes a plurality of second data link patterns DLP2 a, thefirst data link patterns DLP1 a and DLP1 b are connected to each otherby the second data link pattern DLP2 b, and the second data linkpatterns DLP2 a and DLP2 b, and DLP2 b and DLP2 c are connected to eachother by the first data link pattern DLP1 a and DLP1 b.

Also, the flexible electroluminescent display device according to thesecond modification example of the third embodiment of the presentdisclosure shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B is different from the thirdembodiment in that the first wire layer of the second routing wire RWmade of the second metal layer M2 disposed on the planarization layer PLin the bezel area ZA includes a plurality of first wire pieces RW1 a andRW1 b separated from each other, the second wire layer of the secondrouting wire RW made of a third metal layer M3 includes a plurality ofsecond wire pieces RW2 a, RW2 b and RW2 c, the plurality of first wirepieces RW1 a and RW1 b are connected to each other by the second wirepiece RW2 b, and the plurality of second wire pieces RW2 a, RW2 b andRW2 c are connected to each other by the first wire pieces RW1 a and RW1b.

As described above, the flexible electroluminescent display deviceaccording to the second modified example of the third embodiment of thepresent disclosure is substantially similar to the third embodimentexcept for the above differences. Therefore, detailed duplicativedescription is omitted for convenience.

In the second modification example of the third embodiment of thepresent disclosure, even if the second metal layer M2 and the thirdmetal layer M3 are disconnected at the same time by a crack or otherdefect, it is possible to supply signals through various paths withoutgoing through the disconnection section because the third metal layer M3may be connected to the second metal layer M2 at multiple positionsthrough the plurality of contact holes. Therefore, according to thesecond modification example of the third embodiment of the presentdisclosure, it may be possible to achieve the effects obtainable in thethird embodiment, and also to obtain a more stable effect of preventingthe flexible electroluminescent display device from being failed by theoccurrence of cracks due to the bending, as compared with the thirdembodiment.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention maybe changed and modified in various ways without departing from thetechnical spirit of this disclosure through the aforementioned contents.For example, in the description of the embodiments of this disclosure,the data line and the touch routing wiring are described as examples ofthe signal lines arranged in the bezel area, but embodiments are notlimited thereto. It should be understood that embodiments include allsignal lines extending from the active area to the pad area to supplyand receive various signals, such as a display signal, a power supplysignal, a touch signal, and so on. The signal lines described in theclaims do not only mean the data lines and the touch routing wiring, buthave a meaning that includes signals mentioned above.

In the description of the embodiments, it is described that the firstand second touch electrodes have a bar-shape. However, this descriptionis not intended to limit embodiments, but merely illustrates one examplefor convenience of explanation. Accordingly, it is to be understood thatembodiments are not limited thereto and include all known forms.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations may be made in the present disclosurewithout departing from the technical idea or scope of the disclosure.Thus, it may be intended that embodiments of the present disclosurecover the modifications and variations of the disclosure provided theycome within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display device comprising: a substrateincluding an active area and a bezel area adjacent to the active area,the bezel area including a pad area, a bending area between the pad areaand the active area, and a link area between the bending area and theactive area; a light-emitting element on the active area of thesubstrate; an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting element; a touchsensor on the encapsulation layer; a touch pad on the pad area of thesubstrate; a first routing line configured to electrically connect thetouch sensor to the touch pad; an organic pattern on the bending area ofthe substrate; and an insulation layer between the light-emittingelement and the first routing line, the insulation layer including acontact hole arranged at a portion adjacent to the organic pattern. 2.The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a second routing lineconfigured to electrically connect the first routing line to the touchpad, the second routing line being connected to the first routing linethrough the contact hole.
 3. The display device of claim 2, furthercomprising: a data link line in parallel with the second routing line inthe bending area and the link area; and a data pad on the pad area ofthe substrate, the data pad being connected to the data link line. 4.The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a data line on theactive area of the substrate, the data line being connected to the datalink line; a thin film transistor connected to the data line; and aplanarization layer on the data line and the thin film transistor, theorganic pattern and the planarization layer are formed of the samematerial.
 5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the insulation layeroverlaps at least a part of the organic pattern.
 6. The display deviceof claim 5, further comprising: a data line on the active area of thesubstrate, the data line being connected to the data link line; a thinfilm transistor connected to the data line; and a planarization layer onthe data line and the thin film transistor, the insulation layer and theplanarization layer are formed of the same material.
 7. A display devicecomprising: a substrate including an active area and a bezel areaadjacent to the active area; a light-emitting element on the active areaof the substrate; an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting element;a touch sensor on the encapsulation layer; a touch pad disposed at a padarea of the bezel area; a routing line configured to electricallyconnect the touch sensor to the touch pad; a data link line in parallelwith the routing line at a region between the pad area and the activearea; a data pad disposed at the pad area, the data pad being connectedto the data link line; an organic pattern between the pad area and theactive area; and an insulation layer between the light-emitting elementand the routing line, and overlapping at least a part of the organicpattern, the insulation layer including a contact hole arranged at aportion adjacent to a lateral surface of the organic pattern.
 8. Thedisplay device of claim 7, wherein the organic pattern is in directcontact with the substrate.
 9. The display device of claim 7, furthercomprising: a data line on the active area of the substrate, the dataline being connected to the data link line; a thin film transistorconnected to the data line; and a planarization layer on the data lineand the thin film transistor, the organic pattern and the planarizationlayer are formed of the same material.
 10. The display device of claim7, further comprising: a data line on the active area of the substrate,the data line being connected to the data link line; a thin filmtransistor connected to the data line; and a planarization layer on thedata line and the thin film transistor, the insulation layer and theplanarization layer are formed of the same material.
 11. A displaydevice comprising: a substrate including an active area and a bezel areaadjacent to the active area, the bezel area including a bending area anda pad area; a light-emitting element on the active area of thesubstrate; an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting element; a touchsensor on the encapsulation layer; a touch pad on the pad area of thesubstrate; and a touch routing line on the bending area of thesubstrate, the touch routing line being configured to electricallyconnect the touch sensor to the touch pad, wherein the bending areaincludes an organic insulation material respectively disposed at theupper and lower sides of the touch routing line.
 12. The display deviceof claim 11, wherein the bending area on the substrate includes only thefirst routing line and the organic insulation material.
 13. The displaydevice of claim 11, wherein the organic insulation material comprises:an organic pattern between the substrate and the touch routing line; andan organic insulation layer on the touch routing line.
 14. The displaydevice of claim 13, wherein the organic pattern is in direct contactwith the substrate.
 15. The display device of claim 13, wherein theorganic pattern and the organic insulation layer are formed of the samematerial.
 16. The display device of claim 13, wherein the organicinsulation layer includes a contact hole arranged at a portion adjacentto the organic pattern.
 17. The display device of claim 11, furthercomprising: a thin film transistor on the active area of the substrate;a planarization layer on the thin film transistor; and an organicinsulation material, wherein the organic insulation material and theplanarization layer are formed of the same material.
 18. The displaydevice of claim 17, wherein the organic insulation material comprises:an organic pattern between the substrate and the touch routing line; andan organic insulation layer on the touch routing line.
 19. The displaydevice of claim 18, wherein the organic pattern is in direct contactwith the substrate.